It's Still Not Fixed Yet

Few Central Florida Incumbents Were Voted Out Of Office Tuesday, But It Would Be A Mistake To Conclude Government's Just Fine.

September 3, 1992|By Indigo

Nearly all of Central Florida's incumbents survived Tuesday's primary. But that doesn't mean those officials should take it easy. No politician should interpret Tuesday's results as a sign that government is doing a good job. It's not.

Many people are losing faith in government, and for good reason. Out-of-control bureaucracies, the federal budget deficit, the weak economy, crime, poverty and problems in education are crying out for attention.

That lack of confidence in government probably is why, once again, only about a third of registered voters participated in a primary election.

But clearly, the anti-incumbent ''throw the bums out'' talk fell flat. Or at least that's the case so far.

For instance, voters once again seemed to dislike Congress but not their congressman.

Look at U.S. House incumbents Jim Bacchus and Bill McCollum. They were running in newly drawn Central Florida districts - Mr. Bacchus in Brevard County and Mr. McCollum in Orange County - that were the result of reapportionment. Yet both men beat their primary challengers in landslides.

No doubt they did well with the voters because both have shown that they are strong advocates for Central Florida.

Their success on Tuesday mirrors the experience of other members of Congress around the nation.

Most members of Congress who were defeated in primaries lost not because of incumbency per se but because they had been deeply involved in the House bank check-kiting scandal. Mr. McCollum had no overdrafts at the House bank. Mr. Bacchus had a few.

Anti-incumbency fever can't even claim credit for the rare instances in which Central Florida officeholders were beaten Tuesday.

State Rep. Art Grindle, who was making a bid for a state Senate seat, lost because his opponent used negative campaign ads to raise doubts about Mr. Grindle's academic credentials. Incumbency itself seemed to have little, if anything, to do with the defeat.

And John Tanner, the state attorney in Volusia County, can blame his defeat on his preoccupation with invading privacy - such as his infamous quest for the names of people who had rented certain pornographic movies.

So, for the most part, incumbency itself escaped a major beating. But government still needs a major overhaul.